Ground Broken for New PLU Athletic Fields

Sunny weather warmed a crowd of several hundred individuals who
gathered on Friday afternoon for the new Pacific Lutheran
University athletic fields groundbreaking ceremony.

The groundbreaking for the new athletic field marks a
significant step in the transformation of PLU facilities for
athletics and recreation.

The all-purpose synthetic turf field and the new grass field
will serve the athletic, recreational, physical education and
wellness needs of the entire community. Men's and women’s
soccer programs will use the fields for practice and
competition and football will utilize the fields for practice.
Club sports, intramurals, academic activity courses and outdoor
recreation will all have access to the field.

“The new fields will assist in leveling the playing
field for athletics and recreation at PLU,” said Laurie
Turner, director of athletics.

The long-held dream of multi-purpose athletic fields on lower
campus took a major step toward reality in spring 2011
with a gift of $1 million from Wilson Construction and the Don and
Kim Wilson family.

The project is expected to begin by the end of the month
with the removal of trees on the site, with the wood from
those trees to be used as campus building materials. More
trees will be planted thoughout the campus to replace the trees
that are removed.

Construction of the two fields is expected to be finished
in time for fall athletic competition. Final cost is expected to be
approximately $3.5 million.